Proof number 20 in Mexico it was very boring, where the only possibility of giving a bit of an alternative to the ‘usual’ domination was thwarted by the Mercedes wall, which made a wrong decision on Hamilton’s tires favoring the still fantastic Max Verstappen. A successful race also for Perez and Russell. Excellent points for McLaren. Ferrari lost a lot of ground, paying over a minute to Verstappen at the finish line, while Mercedes gained almost 40 seconds. The latter now have to worry about second place in the constructors’ classification, the only milestone with a notable economic and sporting impact still within Ferrari’s reach.
The most important titles have already been awarded
The titles of the season of Formula One of 2022 both have already been decided, in favor of Max Verstappen and Red Bull, but the rest of the order of the championship remains to be decided in the last three races of the season. Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez are therefore engaged in a challenge for the second position, even if today’s results do not suggest a positive outcome for the Italian team.
On closer inspection, in fact, Ferrari has never entered the game all weekend, indeed, its performances have dropped compared to the previous race, while Mercedes has shown to recover very valuable ground in this final of the season. However, as no three-pointed star rider managed to pass Verstappen during the test sessions, the Dutchman started from the front row in Mexico and remained the most competitive driver throughout Sunday, managing a fairly comfortable lead on Hamilton and Perez: the two easiest ‘podium mates’ to bet on given the outcome on Saturday and a Russell not entirely recognizable during the grand prix. Obviously the home crowd would have liked to see the local favorite excel. But Sergio had to deal with Hamilton who, on this track, knows the facts about him: on the other hand, it is a track that has seen him dominate for a long time.
Verstappen’s victory
And where, not insignificant, he celebrated two of his seven titles, respectively the fourth and fifth, in 2017 and 2018. However, the gap of over 15 seconds does not honor the skills of the seven-time English champion and his desire to bring home the first hit of the year again. Instead Verstappen with the 14th victory he detaches – at the moment – both Schumacher and Vettel, making the young Max holder of a new record.
Even if it must be parameterized to the seasons of the past; almost double compared to the 1980s and in any case in the order of 30% more than in Schumi’s time and about 10% compared to the golden years of the other German in Red Bull, Vettel: a figure tending to increase further in the coming years. And there is not only this, there is another one for the constructor. 150 races with one car in the lead: a record that only six teams have achieved in history.